As much as we’d all like to be clean eaters, it can be difficult to eat healthy all the time and stay away from fast food restaurants. For one, fast food restaurants have cheap and quick options. As college students, the quick part is especially appealing. Sometimes it’s easier to just whip through the drive-thru to pick up your dinner rather than spending hours in the kitchen making a well-balanced meal. What a lot of females don’t realize is they can eat at fast food restaurants every now and then without feeling too bad about it if they choose healthier options. Here are some better-for-you options at three of our favorite fast food joints:
Taco Bell
Are you craving some greasy Taco Bell? There’s no shame. Taco Bell can be the cure to satisfying those midnight cravings. Instead of ordering a Chicken Cantina Burrito, which has 740 calories, 27 grams of fat, and 1,920 milligrams of sodium, try ordering a Chicken Cantina Bowl. The bowl comes with chicken, rice, black beans, lettuce, corn, and guacamole, and it’s topped with pico de gallo. This meal has only 530 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 1,450 milligrams of sodium. To make the Cantina Bowl even healthier, try eating it without the pico de gallo and guacamole.
Chick-fil-A
In my opinion, Chick-fil-A is the god of fast food restaurants. However, an eight-count of Chick-fil-A nuggets has 270 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 1,060 milligrams of sodium. Its medium waffle fries have 400 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 180 milligrams of sodium. If you get the meal, you’re eating 670 calories, and that’s without a soft drink. If you really want Chick-fil-A nuggets, order the Cobb Salad. The salad comes with the nuggets, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, corn, cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes, and even bacon. You can eat all of that and only consume 430 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 1,370 milligrams of sodium. To make your meal even healthier, eat the salad without dressing or order a low-fat dressing.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s Frosty and fries may be tempting, but it’s not exactly the healthiest option for you. Try ordering a Grilled Chicken Go Wrap, which comes with grilled chicken, lettuce, cheddar cheese, and honey mustard all wrapped in a flour tortilla. This meal has only 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 740 milligrams of sodium. This may not satisfy your Frosty and fries craving, but this meal will leave you full and feeling better about yourself.
Next time you’re looking for a quick cheat meal, don’t feel bad going into a fast food joint. Instead of choosing a meal that’s packed with way too many calories and fat, order one of these better-for-you options.
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